Konativt

Konativt is a linguistic term used to describe the function of language aimed at affecting the addressee and eliciting a response or action. It is often described as the conative function in Roman Jakobson’s model of six communicative functions, where the primary orientation is toward the listener or reader. In practice, konativt is realized through direct address and exhortation, typically via imperative forms, vocatives, requests, or appeals that seek to prompt a reaction.

In discourse, konativt overlaps with the imperative mood and the use of vocatives. Imperatives such as “Close the door” directly instruct the addressee to perform an action, while vocatives like “John, please sit down” engage the listener by name. Polite requests and appeals also fall under this function, as they seek voluntary compliance or attention rather than simply conveying information.

Konativt is distinguished from other linguistic functions by its pragmatic goal: to influence behavior or elicit a response rather than to describe, explain, or discuss the topic at hand. It is fundamentally about the interactional relationship between speaker and addressee. The concept is used across linguistic and rhetorical studies to analyze how language mobilizes action, commands, or attention within conversation and discourse.

In Scandinavian usage, konativt is commonly linked to the broader idea of direct address and social action within speech, though the core concept remains aligned with the conative function in the broader literature. See also: Jakobson’s functions of language, vocative, imperative mood.